CVE-2014-8948 in iMember360
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the iMember360 plugin 3.8.012 through 3.9.001 for WordPress allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that with an unspecified impact via the i4w_trace parameter. NOTE: this can be leveraged with CVE-2014-8948 to execute arbitrary commands.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/16/2025
The CVE-2014-8948 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the iMember360 WordPress plugin ecosystem, specifically affecting versions ranging from 3.8.012 through 3.9.001. This vulnerability operates at the core of web application security by exploiting the fundamental trust relationship between web browsers and servers, allowing malicious actors to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The flaw manifests through the i4w_trace parameter which serves as an attack vector for manipulating the plugin's intended behavior, potentially enabling attackers to execute commands with elevated privileges.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper validation mechanisms for the i4w_trace parameter within the plugin's request processing pipeline. This parameter, when manipulated by an attacker, can bypass the standard authentication checks that typically verify user identity before executing sensitive operations. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery conditions where web applications fail to validate the origin of requests. Attackers can craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the target system because they originate from a trusted source within the same browser session, effectively exploiting the trust relationship between the user's browser and the vulnerable WordPress installation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with the capability to hijack administrative sessions and execute arbitrary commands on the affected WordPress system. When combined with other vulnerabilities such as CVE-2014-8948, which allows for command execution, the attack surface expands dramatically. This combination enables threat actors to achieve complete system compromise, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system modification, or the establishment of persistent backdoors. The vulnerability particularly affects WordPress installations using the iMember360 plugin, making organizations with these specific configurations highly susceptible to sophisticated attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from system administrators and security teams. The most effective approach involves upgrading to the latest version of the iMember360 plugin where the CSRF protection mechanisms have been properly implemented and validated. Additionally, implementing proper request validation techniques including the use of anti-CSRF tokens, implementing the SameSite cookie attributes, and ensuring proper session management practices can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious parameter manipulation attempts, particularly targeting the i4w_trace parameter. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1078 for valid accounts and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, highlighting the multi-stage nature of attacks that can be executed through such vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar flaws in other plugins and themes, as the vulnerability landscape continues to evolve and new attack vectors emerge regularly.